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My son has attended this school for a couple of years. I haven't had problems with the school until this year. I'd like a reality check on something that came up recently.
I was told "no one [meaning teachers] ever wants to stay after 5:00 pm here." I WOH full-time. Last year, I'd say about once every other month, I picked up my child after 5:00 pm. For instance, in December, there was a water main break and major--I mean major--backup, gridlock, stuck-in-traffickness through Georgetown. In early Feb, I had a client meeting, planned to pick up my child at 5:30 PM. I'm a little surprised to hear this "news," alarmed that there was no prior notification of this "policy," and frustrated because although I try extremely hard to pick up my child before 4 or 4:30 the majority of days, as a working mom, it's sometimes truly not possible.
I'd be interested in other reactions so I have a sense of whether I'm overreacting...?
I was told "no one [meaning teachers] ever wants to stay after 5:00 pm here." I WOH full-time. Last year, I'd say about once every other month, I picked up my child after 5:00 pm. For instance, in December, there was a water main break and major--I mean major--backup, gridlock, stuck-in-traffickness through Georgetown. In early Feb, I had a client meeting, planned to pick up my child at 5:30 PM. I'm a little surprised to hear this "news," alarmed that there was no prior notification of this "policy," and frustrated because although I try extremely hard to pick up my child before 4 or 4:30 the majority of days, as a working mom, it's sometimes truly not possible.
I'd be interested in other reactions so I have a sense of whether I'm overreacting...?
A resource for someone who might be really insightful and helpful for you would be Sharon Zarozny: http://www.brilliantexits.com/index.html
My father's podiatrist has just had emergency back surgery. Because I like my dad to be able to walk, I try to keep up with his foot care. Does anyone have any recommendations for someone I can use to keep my father's feet in decent shape?
For myself, husband, toddler son and cat! Although we very responsible, clean, professional, and non-smoking, because of the cat/toddler combo I'm finding a little hard...
Does anyone have any recommendations for sites to look at or places to consider?
I'd prefer to find something in NoVa. The renovation is scheduled for July, so I'm willing to be flexible on start (in June) and it needs to go throuhg all of July.
Does anyone have any recommendations for sites to look at or places to consider?
I'd prefer to find something in NoVa. The renovation is scheduled for July, so I'm willing to be flexible on start (in June) and it needs to go throuhg all of July.
It really depends how fast your kids are, but if you have speedy LOs (and of course twins too), I would not hesitate.
Welcome to the neighborhood. I really like it. I have a 19 mo DS and you're welcome to email me if you want to try to connect at a local playground.
We have done several rounds of the Arlington County classes. They are great. They offer a wide range of Music Together, signing and Happy Hands classes, tumbling, swimming and (for older pre-schoolers) dance, crafts, etc. The classes fill up pretty fast, in my experience.
http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/ParksRecreation/ParksRecreationMain.aspx
There is also a JW Tumbles on Lee Hwy.
http://jwtumbles.com/
And MoBu Kids in Falls Church.
http://mobukids.com/
There is also stuff in Georgetown, classes offered through DC Parks and Recreation and Jonah's Treehouse. I haven't gotten around to exploring that side of the Potomac although as my cutie pie gets more active, I sense I will be soon...
http://www.jonahstreehouse.com/
We have done several rounds of the Arlington County classes. They are great. They offer a wide range of Music Together, signing and Happy Hands classes, tumbling, swimming and (for older pre-schoolers) dance, crafts, etc. The classes fill up pretty fast, in my experience.
http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/ParksRecreation/ParksRecreationMain.aspx
There is also a JW Tumbles on Lee Hwy.
http://jwtumbles.com/
And MoBu Kids in Falls Church.
http://mobukids.com/
There is also stuff in Georgetown, classes offered through DC Parks and Recreation and Jonah's Treehouse. I haven't gotten around to exploring that side of the Potomac although as my cutie pie gets more active, I sense I will be soon...
http://www.jonahstreehouse.com/
Men belive that little elves live in the house and at night magically do laundry, dishes, put away kids toys, etc.
I asked my DH if he'd like to be in charge of laundry or dishes, and I'd do the one he didn't want. He opted for dishes. Anytime there are dishes stacked up in the sink I remind him that this is his job. He lets things stack up more than I would, but because he knows it's his job, he knows whether the dishes are dirty or clean. (And to be fair, I've let dry cleaning stack up to some pretty large piles--the only difference is that he doesn't notice so he doesn't say anything to me about laundry being my job.)
I asked my DH if he'd like to be in charge of laundry or dishes, and I'd do the one he didn't want. He opted for dishes. Anytime there are dishes stacked up in the sink I remind him that this is his job. He lets things stack up more than I would, but because he knows it's his job, he knows whether the dishes are dirty or clean. (And to be fair, I've let dry cleaning stack up to some pretty large piles--the only difference is that he doesn't notice so he doesn't say anything to me about laundry being my job.)
a flashlight
a bugbox
a fun bathtoy (like youkidoo water pump)
a bugbox
a fun bathtoy (like youkidoo water pump)
It is possible that your provider is trying to give you feedback, albeit in a clumbsy way.
But I'll be honest, I think it's weird for your provider to not provide a mix of feedback, even if she does have some legitmate concerns about your child. As a point of contrast, my DS has been notoriously hard to get to nap at daycare. My provider has nothing but extremely kind things to say about my DS each evening. She has toddlers who throw tantrums and says the nicest things to the parents about the children. I think most providers know that moms love their kids, and want their babies to be loved by their providers. I'm surprised this basic insight isn't part of her unofficial job description and it makes me wonder if maybe you want to look for a new provider?
FWIW, my daycare has a vacancies and I can't say enough wonderful things about her. She's at Route 50 and the beltway.
But I'll be honest, I think it's weird for your provider to not provide a mix of feedback, even if she does have some legitmate concerns about your child. As a point of contrast, my DS has been notoriously hard to get to nap at daycare. My provider has nothing but extremely kind things to say about my DS each evening. She has toddlers who throw tantrums and says the nicest things to the parents about the children. I think most providers know that moms love their kids, and want their babies to be loved by their providers. I'm surprised this basic insight isn't part of her unofficial job description and it makes me wonder if maybe you want to look for a new provider?
FWIW, my daycare has a vacancies and I can't say enough wonderful things about her. She's at Route 50 and the beltway.
Your post isn't clear if you're looking for activities in the home or out of the home...
At any rate, I'm sympathetic. I'm away from my DS during the day and love to come home to him. Generally I get to him about 5:15-5:30 and (he's 9 months) he doesn't stay up long enough for me to do many activities out of the home. He loves looking a people, so in the spring, when the weather was nicer, he and I would go for walks and I'd talk to him about what we were looking at. Now he and I stay inside, because of heat. While inside, we do all the fun things he likes to do:
* touch and feel books
* peekaboo games with me and his stuffed animals
* banging on pots and pans
* pulling himself to standing position on sofa, chair, me, window sill, anything around him
He gets a bath. Big fun for him: he likes the bubbles, he likes his YouKidoo toys, he likes splashing the water around and pouring it into different containers. I then change him into jammies, read 3-4 books, and he has a bottle before going to bed.
But here's the bottom line: Your baby is going to enjoy anything with you. He's going to like seeing you, hearing your voice, smelling you, and being cuddled by you. I'd just focus on spending the time with him and not worry too much about what you are "doing."
At any rate, I'm sympathetic. I'm away from my DS during the day and love to come home to him. Generally I get to him about 5:15-5:30 and (he's 9 months) he doesn't stay up long enough for me to do many activities out of the home. He loves looking a people, so in the spring, when the weather was nicer, he and I would go for walks and I'd talk to him about what we were looking at. Now he and I stay inside, because of heat. While inside, we do all the fun things he likes to do:
* touch and feel books
* peekaboo games with me and his stuffed animals
* banging on pots and pans
* pulling himself to standing position on sofa, chair, me, window sill, anything around him
He gets a bath. Big fun for him: he likes the bubbles, he likes his YouKidoo toys, he likes splashing the water around and pouring it into different containers. I then change him into jammies, read 3-4 books, and he has a bottle before going to bed.
But here's the bottom line: Your baby is going to enjoy anything with you. He's going to like seeing you, hearing your voice, smelling you, and being cuddled by you. I'd just focus on spending the time with him and not worry too much about what you are "doing."
I really like my day care provider. That said, she is far from public transportation. All the places near metro stops had really long wait lists!!! This is a small inhome day care provider.
Some specific things I am very grateful for:
My day care gives me a written "report card" each day with the times my baby slept, ate (and how much), pooped, etc. Because he's on demand and not scheduled, it's really important for me to know what his day was like , so I know if he's tired, hungry, etc. Plus I like the little notes about cute things he did and what "activities" he had that day.
My day care provider prefers that she mix the formula (he's FF) and I really appreciate not having formula go to waste and not having to make 5 bottles in the morning, which would be another hassle in getting myself and my LO out the door.
She brings in a singer to sing to the kids one day a week and has beautiful outdoor space. One of the arguments for day care is that you want your child to have as much experience with different stimulation as is practical. She plays with puppets with them, reads them books, finger painting when they are older, etc. I am a big believer that all these activities are what distinguishes quality day care from at home care.
Finallly, my day care provider does continuing education. This was an important consideration for me in assessing places. I wanted someone who wants to stay current with best practices and wants to keep learning about child development. It does mean there are 3 days a year I've agreed to pay her for (as well as vacation and federal holidays) when daycare is closed. I feel this is a fair tradeoff, because of the advantages for my child in terms of the quality of his care. But I know not everyone would agree with this.
At any rate, my fundamental message would be: the wait lists are ridiculous. More entrepreneurs should open day cares in this area. GL to your new business.
Some specific things I am very grateful for:
My day care gives me a written "report card" each day with the times my baby slept, ate (and how much), pooped, etc. Because he's on demand and not scheduled, it's really important for me to know what his day was like , so I know if he's tired, hungry, etc. Plus I like the little notes about cute things he did and what "activities" he had that day.
My day care provider prefers that she mix the formula (he's FF) and I really appreciate not having formula go to waste and not having to make 5 bottles in the morning, which would be another hassle in getting myself and my LO out the door.
She brings in a singer to sing to the kids one day a week and has beautiful outdoor space. One of the arguments for day care is that you want your child to have as much experience with different stimulation as is practical. She plays with puppets with them, reads them books, finger painting when they are older, etc. I am a big believer that all these activities are what distinguishes quality day care from at home care.
Finallly, my day care provider does continuing education. This was an important consideration for me in assessing places. I wanted someone who wants to stay current with best practices and wants to keep learning about child development. It does mean there are 3 days a year I've agreed to pay her for (as well as vacation and federal holidays) when daycare is closed. I feel this is a fair tradeoff, because of the advantages for my child in terms of the quality of his care. But I know not everyone would agree with this.
At any rate, my fundamental message would be: the wait lists are ridiculous. More entrepreneurs should open day cares in this area. GL to your new business.
This is so interesting. I could have written your post.
Starting one week ago, my DS (9 months today) seems like he gets a "second wind" mid-bedtime ritual. His eyes pop open, even if he had been rubbing his eyes and ears like mad just a few minutes earlier. He wants to crawl around the bedroom and touch everything, pull all his books off his bookcase, and stops all his sleepy cues. We've been letting him stretch out his "bedtime" because he's not tired and, if we put him into his crib, he howls in misery. But I'm really interested in what's going on in his cute little baby brain? Is he just excited at all the new stuff he's learning? He truly doesn't seem tired, because after 45 minutes of exploration and grins, peekaboo, and touching all his objects, he then goes back to his sleepy cues and we resume his ritual and he goes down...
We're just choosing to ride it out. I personally toss and turn if I go to bed when I'm not tired, so I can't see the logic of trying to make him sleep when he's just plainly not going to sleep.
Starting one week ago, my DS (9 months today) seems like he gets a "second wind" mid-bedtime ritual. His eyes pop open, even if he had been rubbing his eyes and ears like mad just a few minutes earlier. He wants to crawl around the bedroom and touch everything, pull all his books off his bookcase, and stops all his sleepy cues. We've been letting him stretch out his "bedtime" because he's not tired and, if we put him into his crib, he howls in misery. But I'm really interested in what's going on in his cute little baby brain? Is he just excited at all the new stuff he's learning? He truly doesn't seem tired, because after 45 minutes of exploration and grins, peekaboo, and touching all his objects, he then goes back to his sleepy cues and we resume his ritual and he goes down...
We're just choosing to ride it out. I personally toss and turn if I go to bed when I'm not tired, so I can't see the logic of trying to make him sleep when he's just plainly not going to sleep.
You sound to me worried about CIO. I will just say my DH and I did it at 3.5 months. Our DS was waking up every 45 minutes to 2 hours every night. We do not agree on much, but we both agree it was the best thing we ever did.
We had two hard nights, so we began on the Friday of a long weekend. As you know, the key is consistency, so it's hard when babies are sick, you have to take care of the poor LO, and this means inconsistency. But if you can find a method that makes sense to you and be consistent about following it, I think you will all be the better for getting your rest.
Hang in there.
We had two hard nights, so we began on the Friday of a long weekend. As you know, the key is consistency, so it's hard when babies are sick, you have to take care of the poor LO, and this means inconsistency. But if you can find a method that makes sense to you and be consistent about following it, I think you will all be the better for getting your rest.
Hang in there.
You sound uncertain about whether your family will be happy living with $1K+ a month in discretionary spending. That's going to be hard for others to answer. People have different comfort levels. Can you try living on just your husband's salary now and see how you and your family finds it?
I think it's great that you have this choice and I think either can work for you, but it's going to be a matter of what trade-offs you and your family will be happiest making: will living financially closer to the edge be a worry for you or is money not something that worries you? will it bother you to pay someone else to do what you wish you could do (enjoy being home)? etc.
I think it's great that you have this choice and I think either can work for you, but it's going to be a matter of what trade-offs you and your family will be happiest making: will living financially closer to the edge be a worry for you or is money not something that worries you? will it bother you to pay someone else to do what you wish you could do (enjoy being home)? etc.
My DH takes night shift. I get to sleep away. DS does not sleep through the night and whenever he travels I notice how exhausted I get after two nights...
My DH also makes DS giggle like mad. They have some crazy boy-bonding thing where they egg each other on.
And finally he's also crazy proud of DS. Brags about his drooling. I mean, really truly thinks anything this child does is remarkable. You'd never believe many billions of humans have been born and learned to crawl and stand before our child....
My DH also makes DS giggle like mad. They have some crazy boy-bonding thing where they egg each other on.
And finally he's also crazy proud of DS. Brags about his drooling. I mean, really truly thinks anything this child does is remarkable. You'd never believe many billions of humans have been born and learned to crawl and stand before our child....